When It’s Gone, It’s Gone – Keeping Knowledge Safe

ABTEM’s next seminar will be a joint ABTEM and SHCG event held at the National Railway Museum, York on 11th October 2019

What happens to their knowledge when long-serving staff and volunteers leave? How do institutions plan for succession? How do we cope with fewer people with specialist knowledge?

This day seminar aims to address these issues and give an opportunity for sharing strategies and projects. Confirmed speakers include Steph Mastoris on SHCG’s firstBase project and Dr Laura Humphreys on harvesting information from curators at the Science Museum.

The seminar will cost £12 (excluding lunch) and there will be opportunity to look around the NRM.

This year for our Autumn meeting we have been invited to join a major Conference in Liverpool organized by the Maritime Heritage Trust as this vitally important theme is of common interest.

Keynote speakers on 20 October will include Sir Neil Cossons, Sara Crofts, Head of Historic Environment at the Heritage Lottery Fund, Paul Lewin, General Manager of the Festiniog and Welsh Highland Railways as well as speakers from National Historic Ships, the Transport Trust, the Association of British Transport and Engineering Museums and the National Railway Museum. The day will include a series of workshops with experts on applying for grants, successful project operation, fund-raising and attracting new generations of supporters and volunteers. Building effective local partnerships will be an underlying theme. Further details are at www.maritimeheritage.org.uk/programme2015.

The Conference is FREE to attend thanks to sponsorship from: the Cities of Liverpool, Cardiff and Belfast, the Transport Trust, National Historic Ships, the Association of British Transport and Engineering Museums, The Maritime Heritage Trust and locally the Titanic Hotel, Stanley Dock, Liverpool. The Titanic hotel, the Conference venue, is one of the most remarkable historic building conversions in the region in recent years.

Places have been reserved until the 25th September so please reply as soon as you can if you or another member of your organisation is free to accept – places are limited to 2 for each organisation. After this places will be filled on a first come first served basis.

Delegates attending ABTEM’s late spring seminar at the Museum of Liverpool on Friday 28th were provided with a fascinating and inspiring day. Dr Jo Reilly, Head of Participation and Learning at the Heritage Lottery Fund gave us a good insight into the process of researching and writing activity plans and weaving in community involvement to our projects. Claire Weston (National Motor Museum Trust) highlighted the work being done on the museum’s ‘Caravans and Charabancs’ First World War community project (http://www.nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/caravans_charabancs) and Sharon Brown outlined two community projects undertaken at the museum of Liverpool, the restoration of Liverpool Tramcar No.245 and the development exhibition content, research, collection knowledge and talks with the Retired Carters Association. Copies of presentations should be available in the next few months.